Join guest speakers Alex Quigley, Debra Myhill, Martin Galway and Sonia Thompson at this unmissable Online Conference from Multi-Award-Winning Training Provider Services For Education

 
 

Event Information:
Thursday 10th April 2025
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Online

BOOK TICKETS for £145

*FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR FANTASTIC LINE-UP*

Alex Quigley

Alex Quigley
teacher of 15 years who now writes for teachers

Closing the Writing Gap: Developing Independent Writers delivered by our Headline Speaker – Alex Quigley

Alex explores some of the key challenges facing pupils that is determining the current national fall in writing outcomes. He goes onto explore practical strategies, so that pupils can write independently, such as crafting great sentences, planning, editing and revising.

Alex Quigley Alex is a teacher of over 15 years who now writes for teachers. His writing includes best-selling books, such as ‘Closing the Writing Gap’ and ‘The Confident Teacher’, as well as being a columnist for TES. He writes at www.alexquigley.co.uk. 

READ WHAT ATTENDEES SAID ABOUT LAST YEAR’S READING CONFERENCE

Christa Haddleton, English and Communication Leader, SEND Teacher

A fantastic day full of inspiring, knowledgeable and practical advice from a range of speakers. Pockets of wisdom shared by all and could be applied to almost any setting/provision.

Aidan Annetts, Assistant Head Teacher, St Benedict’s Primary School

Amazing speakers and subject areas to get a whole array of information about the important and relevant aspects of reading.

Amber Fay, Class Teacher

Very informative and inspiring conference today; I have lots of useful information and ideas to take back to school with me tomorrow, with plans to implement many

Laura Lawrence, Class Teacher

All speakers were fantastic. I’ve got so many ideas to action!”

Laura Russell, English Lead / SENCo, English Martyrs’ Catholic Primary School

It was so wonderful to spend a day listening to these professionals share their knowledge, their experience and recommendations. This was the best professional development training I have received in my career.

Join us for this exciting full-day online event! All sessions are included with your ticket.

Debra Myhill

Debra Myhill
Debra is Professor Emerita of Education at the University of ExeteR

Grammar as Choice

This session will explain the idea of ‘grammar as choice’ and how it enables young writers to understand the effect of the choices they make on their writers.  Drawing on the evidence from research, the session will share practical examples of the approach in practice.  

Debra is Professor Emerita of Education at the University of Exeter, UK, and a Fellow of the British Academy. Her research has focused particularly on the inter-relationship between metalinguistic understanding and writing; and writing pedagogy.  Underpinning this research is the principle that literacy, especially writing, is a pathway to empowerment. 

EMMA MUDGE
School adviser specialising in english, services for education

Services For Education English Adviser Emma Mudge, will be leading the Writing Conference as well as delivering a fantastic session on comprehension.

Writing Assessment – Demystifying the Teacher Assessment Frameworks

Our in-house KS2 writing moderator will focus upon the understanding of key ‘pupil can’ statements from the end of the KS2 TAF during this session. Emma will identify how this understanding impacts our teaching of crucial writing skills and will also look at how we can build opportunities to develop these skills throughout the school.

Read some of Emma’s blog posts and articles here.

Emma Mudge has over 20 years of experience working in primary education. Throughout this time, she has become a leader in a wide variety of areas throughout the school including Assessment, Teaching and Learning, Curriculum Management and Lead DSL, to name but a few. As Deputy Head Teacher and Acting Head Teacher, she has been at the forefront of school leadership and improvement. During her role as English leader, she successfully introduced new approaches which significantly raised attainment. This led her to be approached to support other English coordinators across Birmingham, make presentations to school leaders and become a member of a small group of specialist teachers and leaders, tasked with improving the reading attainment in a number of schools across the city.

Martin Galway

Martin Galway:
Head of School Programmes at the National Literacy Trust

Read for meaning

Write like you mean it! In this session, Martin will explore the many connections between reading and writing. He will make a case for why reading, writing, speaking and listening instruction all have valuable, mutually supportive contributions to make in developing keen reader/writers with something to say. 

Martin is Head of School Programmes at the National Literacy Trust. Previously he worked as a Teaching and Learning Adviser for HFL’s Primary English Team, a leading teacher for English, primary school teacher & lecturer in film. Martin specialises in reading and writing development with interests including reading fluency instruction, grammar,  literacy difficulties, and oracy. 

SONIA THOMPSON
HEADTEACHER AT ST MATTHEW'S C.E. PRIMARY SCHOOL, DIRECTOR OF ST MATTHEW'S EEF RESEARCH SCHOOL, BIRMINGHAM.

High Quality Writing Implementation

Sonia will examine the role of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and the importance of evidence-informed practice, consider the importance of a reason to write and someone to write for (purpose and audience)and most importantly, will share writing practice and consider how a school can translate the evidence into action.

Sonia Thompson is the Headteacher at St Matthew’s C.E. Primary School and the Director of St Matthew’s EEF (Education Endowment Foundation) Research School, in Nechells Birmingham. St Matthew’s is a Talk for Writing Training Centre and previously held DfE Teaching School status. Her school regularly hosts’ visits for teachers, Headteachers and MATs, who want to see evidence-informed practice across the curriculum. Sonia recently published a book called, An Ethic of Excellence in Action; has had articles published and regularly reviews blogs for SchoolsWeek. She has a chapter in, the researchED Guide to the Curriculum and is a contributor to the new WALKTHRUs 3 book. Sonia is a board member of the UKLA National Council and the Birmingham Diocese. She is also a trustee for the Church of England National Society, Classics for All and the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). Sonia is regularly asked to deliver keynotes and training at various conferences and events, across the country.

Join us for this exciting full-day online event! All sessions are included with your ticket.

why services for education?

MORE INFORMATION

At Services For Education we provide a wide range of face to face services and professional development opportunities to enhance teaching and champion school improvement across Birmingham.

We have won awards for our Contribution to Education across the City and continuously receive positive feedback from our course attendees.

We are also a charity (Charity no. 1148848) with a mission to use the power of learning and of music to create and build confidence amongst children, young people, adults and communities across the city of Birmingham.

Values 2020
2024 Award Winner

2024 Winner
Training Provider or educational establishment of the year

music & drama awards

2023 Winner
Excellence in SEND

In partnership with Soundabout

Hallmark-CA2022-winner-logo

2022 Winner
the Arts, culture and heritage award

2022 Winner
Outstanding Charity of the Year

music & drama awards

2021 Winner
OUTSTANDING MUSIC EDUCATION RESOURCE

music & drama awards

2021 WINNER
#GOLDSTARS AWARD

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2021 Winner
Innovation in Education Award

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2021 Winner
Excellence in Training and Education

2019 Winner
Excellence in Training and Education

2019 Winner
Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community

Music Teacher Awards For Excellence Logo - Services For Education

2018 Winner
Music Education Council Major Award

Birmingham Awards - Services For Education - Music Service

2018 Winner
Contribution to Education

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2018 Silver winner
Birmingham schools' brass band championship sections

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If you would like some more information about the Online Primary Reading Conference, or our other English training courses and services, please email hello@servicesforeducation.co.uk or call 0121 366 9950 and ask to speak to Emma Mudge.

If you have any general enquiries, feel free to fill out the form on this page.

Join us for this exciting full-day online event! All sessions are included with your ticket.

Page Last Modified:  25/09/2024 14:40